Three metro Detroit chefs named as semifinalists for James Beard Foundation awards say they're honored to have their names listed alongside the best chefs in the country. And one called the recognition the realization of a lifelong goal.

"I've been wanting this since I was a kid," said Torino chef Garrett Lipar, 27, who was named one of 25 semifinalists in the national Rising Star Chef of the Year category last week. "Over 12 years ago I set out to be this dude. I wanted to be me, now. ... I set out to be here, and I was definitely hoping I would be" when the lists were announced Feb. 18.

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Other metro Detroit Beard semifinalists are Detroit chefs Andy Hollyday of Selden Standard and Marc Djozlija of Wright & Co., both named in the Best Chef Great Lakes division.

The only other Michigander on the Best Chef Great Lakes list of 20 candidates is Myles Anton of Trattoria Stella in Traverse City. The Great Lakes region includes Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

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The Beard awards are often called the Oscars of the food world. The New York-based organization annually honors the best restaurants and chefs both nationally and regionally, as well as cookbook authors, journalists and others associated with the culinary arts.

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Hollyday — whose Selden Standard is the Free Press 2015 Restaurant of the Year — said that "people are just super excited for me and the restaurant, and I think it's just really cool personally to be on the list with all those great chefs from the region."

Hollyday, a Toledo native, was executive chef at Michael Symon's Roast in Detroit before leaving to open his own restaurant, which debuted in Midtown late last year.

"I have always wanted to make that list one day, and it's even sweeter that there are three Michigan chefs on the list that I'm friends with and really respect and that are great chefs. ... Maybe one day I'll make the finals and then — maybe one day — bring a James Beard home to Detroit."

Marc Djozlija (pronounced joe's-LEE-ah) called it "very surprising" and "absolutely wonderful" to be named a Beard semifinalist. The Detroit native worked for the Wolfgang Puck organization for years before coming home to be executive chef of Puck's restaurants at MGM Grand Detroit. Working for another chef makes it more difficult to be noticed, he said, so Beard recognition "wasn't really on my radar."

He and business partner Dave Kwiatkowski last year opened Wright & Co. in the old Wright-Kay Building on Woodward downtown; earlier this month, the Free Press named it one of the 10 Best New Restaurants of 2014.

To Djozlija, "What's really cool (about the Beard semifinals list) is that Detroit was mentioned twice, because it's not a city that's thought of well on the food scene." And with more new restaurants on the way, the city's dining scene will get even better this year, he added.

Lipar, whose Torino was the Free Press 2014 Restaurant of the Year, said that award began a year that "was just crazy for us. ... Everything changed for us. We set out to shake some (stuff) up, and we did."

If there's a reason he's a semifinalist for Rising Star chef, he says, it's hard work. "I think when you put that kind of energy into something and when you really set your mind to it, it comes to fruition when you work that hard for it. I think it was hard work and having the best team and just being me. ... very attentive and passionate and crazy."

The semifinalists will learn March 24 whether Beard judges have tapped them as one of the five chefs in each category who go on to be final Beard nominees. After those names are announced, judges will vote a final time to choose the Beard winners, who will be announced May 4 in Chicago.